Picket Fences
by Annamonk
Summary: Okay, a reader planted a plot bunny. I loved it. An older Buffy winds up with a new team and the adventures begin. Joss owns everything. I just borrow them to amuse my own sick self.
1. Chapter 1

Buffy smiled as Phil Coulson slid into the booth across from her. They'd done the diner thing so many times over the years, that any diner could be their place. Well, if he wasn't so caught up playing with superhero types that he had to reschedule.

She examined him through the fan of her lashes. He looked more or less the same, but she could see it. There was a hollowness in him. Coming back from the dead sucked.

"It's good to see you, Phil." She slid her hand across the table, and he grabbed it. The quick jolt of electricity had them both smiling. He squeezed her hand with his long, elegant fingers. He wasn't strong enough to hurt her, and he wasn't trying to harm her, but she ached from the contact. It had been too damn long.

"You know?" His eyes dropped to her assortment of plates. She blushed a bit. Slayer metabolism was such a pain in the ass.

"Fury told me." She snorted. "He has a few new scars. One of them's a beauty. I told him the only reason he walked away was his questionable humanity."

"He needs me." Phil shrugged. "We've patched up our differences. He almost apologized."

"At least, he feels bad about it." Buffy shrugged. "Most save the world types don't. Their ideals put a nice rosy glow on any damn thing they do."

"Yes, pragmatism does have its drawbacks." Phil sighed, his frustration clear in the set of his shoulders. "Why did he tell you?"

"It sure wasn't any urge to beg for forgiveness. He knew the score. Magic trumps science, my friend." Buffy smiled as his eyes came back to hers, blue like the deep sea. "I would have found you one way or another. He knew it. I think he wanted me to know. I think he wanted me to hold your hand and tell you it will all be okay."

"So?" Phil's lips curled up in a knowing smile.

"I won't lie to you, Phil." Buffy clenched her eyes shut and fought down the wave of nausea that always came from discussions like these. "I promised that when you dug me out of that bottle in Thailand."

"Are you still working independently?" Phil shifted the conversation for her. He always did things like that, always cared for her comfort.

"Yep." She signaled the waitress and looked down at their joined hands. "The Council comes after me every couple of years. Giles came last time. He was all sweet and reminding me about the good old days. It didn't stop him from trying the mojo to sedate me. He went home with some new scars, too."

"I'm sure he deserved more." Phil squeezed her hand. It was just a casual thing between them, a moment of understanding.

"I can't hurt him too much. Dawn loves him." Buffy sighed. "She's happy and safe with them. I envy her ability to forgive and forget."

"You've never told her the whole of it." Phil traced his fingertips along the veins at her wrist.

"She needs stability." Buffy sighed. "It's not my milieu. I need to move. I need to fight. She wouldn't understand my life. I'm not the girl that wanted a normal life anymore."

"Want to come help me out? I can guarantee a few good fights." Phil tilted his head and pointed to her nearly empty plates and signaled that he wanted the same. The woman scrambled away from them. She had good survival instincts.

"I'm no S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." Buffy traced her finger along his pulse. It picked up as she focused on it. "Plus, your little organization has gone the way of the dodo."

"I don't need an agent. I need a friend at my back, someone I can trust hell or high water. There's a girl I need to protect and a couple of scientists. They are good kids." His eyes took on that fire to which she always responded. She was fucked, but he was going to have to work for it.

"Your team has to be larger than that." Buffy popped a piece of toast in her mouth. "Or the job is more dire than you are letting on."

"A little of both, really." He smirked. "I never get one by you. May is with me."

"Oh, fun. Do you need me to hurt her again?" Buffy blinked rapidly and tossed Phil a coy look. "I don't play well with others, but she just pisses me off."

"She only has nice things to say about you. I have a specialist as well, but you wouldn't know him." Phil smiled up at their waitress as she set out his plates. "Thank you, Wanda."

The waitress blushed and mumbled something as she backed away.

"You're still good at ignoring me when you want to be." Buffy grabbed his fruit salad and glared at him. He squeezed her hand and held tight. She picked at her pilfered fruit with her free hand.

"I have never ignored you." He watched her lick the juice from her fingers. "I doubt any sane man does."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm dangerous." She made a face. "Phil, I'm not in my twenties anymore despite the oh so special gifts that being pulled out of heaven bestowed. Hey, will you age?"

"I have no idea. The serum they used to pull me back is basically untested." He grimaced at his plate. "I had to use it on Skye as well. We could be as immortal as you are."

Buffy snagged a piece of bacon from his plate and chewed it slowly. Phil Coulson was one of the few people she trusted. He'd always been all work and no play, fully dedicated to his cause, but things had changed. S.H.I.E.L.D. was history. If he wanted help saving his team, she'd lend a hand, but she had to make one thing perfectly clear.

"If I join up with your little troop, I do as I see fit unless you convince me differently. You can't try to collect my contacts for some demon zoo or anything like that. We're equals." She looked at him, locking their gazes. "And if we wind up in bed after one too damn many, you'd better be there in the morning."


	2. Chapter 2

Phil Coulson looked at the pretty blonde riding next to him in Lola. The big sunglasses and patterned scarf tied round her head suited the car, and she suited him. He smiled and turned his eyes back toward the road.

Buffy Ann Summers was the one he had let get away. He'd been assigned to bring her in. She was an asset that Fury wanted. Hell, she was an equal to three quarters of the Avengers on her own. He'd read her file, thought he knew her in and out. The whole thing had read like a fantasy novel, but she had seemed fairly predictable on paper, the quintessential do-gooder. In person, she was a revelation, fierce and friendly, but aloof. He'd spent weeks getting to know her. He'd watched as she went about her duties with a grim determination. Her familial ties were minimal. She chatted with her sister on the phone but avoided any actual meetings. She'd appeared to be a near perfect recruit.

He'd been with her on a patrol, trying to convince her to join up, when it happened. The demon had gone for him. She'd stepped between them and been impaled on the thing's spike but still managed to kill it. Watching her rip the spear like thing from her body had panicked him. He'd rushed toward her and seen the resignation in her eyes. The conversation they'd had propped against a gravestone as he held her while she healed changed him. Immortality was lonely. There was no hope of heaven or hell. She'd forgiven her betrayers only to be betrayed again. Her wide green eyes filled with tears. They'd emerged in the blue light of early dawn with a tentative friendship. She was the perfect asset, but he had failed his assignment happily, watching her walk away with a bounce in her step.

Buffy had shown up a few months later and saved him again. It was strange to be the damsel in distress, but watching her take out twenty men armed with an Asgard artifact was worth the sense of helplessness. She was magnificent.

They'd gone to a small diner afterwards and started their tradition. He'd never missed a meeting with her. He'd taken his only leave from S.H.I.E.L.D. when she had failed to show three years in. Tracing her to Thailand had been the easy part. He'd gotten to play the hero that time, freeing her from a genie's bottle. A week later he'd been back at work.

She never missed another meeting. She'd shown up and dug him out of trouble on several occasions. She'd saved May when he'd asked, gotten a drunken Tony Stark home when he'd been too busy, and helped find Hawkeye when the stubborn bastard went missing.

Fury had tried to recruit her again and again, but she had laughed in his face.

Phil couldn't fight the smirk. Buffy had made her preference clear. She was his friend. It had stunned him. He had associates and assets. He didn't have friends. When he'd told her about Audrey, she'd smiled a little too widely, but nothing had changed between them.

Their relationship was solid.

It was true.

Still, he'd known that smile masked pain.

He glanced at her as she watched the passing scenery. She'd never brought up Thailand before, not once. He swallowed. They'd spent four nights together before duty dragged him back. The image of her golden hair spilled across his pillow as he slid out of their bed played through his mind.

"You're thinking too much." Buffy sighed and turned toward him. "I'm gonna help. I'll play nice with May and your kiddos. Don't worry."

"I'm sorry about Thailand." He swallowed.

"Yeah, yeah, I knew I should have kept my mouth shut." Buffy sighed. "The past is the past, okay?"

"I should have said goodbye." Phil touched her arm gently.

"It wasn't the first time I woke up alone." A brief grimace flitted across her face.

"I should have said goodbye." Phil watched her eyes flick down to her lap. The past wasn't in the past. Seven years had flown by, but she was still waking up alone. He just hadn't seen it.

"No." Buffy grabbed his hand. "We are not going to play woulda, shoulda, coulda. The past is the past. Let's go save your team."

He pulled over. This wasn't the right time or the right place, but it didn't matter. He grabbed her and hauled her closer. She didn't fight him. He looked from her wide green eyes down to her lips. He'd seen more beautiful women, but she was the one that haunted his fantasies. He pressed his lips against hers.

He felt the tremor in her body and nipped at her bottom lip, enjoying the breathy moan that escaped her. She opened her mouth under his and invited him in. He pulled the scarf from her head and buried his fingers in her hair. Minutes passed, or days, he didn't care. She was curled into him, and it felt right in a way that nothing had since his death.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes. He could see the indecision in her gaze. Her fingers slid along his cheeks.

"Phil, we can't do this. I want it too much. I want it all with you." She looked down between them. "But there isn't a white picket fence in our future. You have a team to save and I have a destiny."

"So? We won't be a regular couple with nine to five jobs." He cupped her cheek.

"You're all the home I have, Phil." She bit her lip. "I can't go back to the Council. If we fuck this up, I'm done."

"You're too afraid to try?" Phil shook his head. "That doesn't sound like the woman I know."

He watched her struggle. He counted each breath she dragged into her body, each tear that trickled down her cheek. He waited.

"We save your team." She reached up and ran her the pad of her thumb across his bottom lip. "We save them, and then we will see if there can be an us."

"We save my team?" He raised an incredulous brow. "Our future hinges on saving my team? We save the world on a regular basis. I admit you do it more often than I do, but saving my team seems like a fairly simple task."

"If we can work together for this, we can do it in other ways." She looked at him with tears sparkling on her eyelashes. "Audrey gave you a sense of peace. You loved her. You probably still do. I'll never be peaceful. I'll make you laugh, I'll make you scream, and I'll do a whole bunch of stuff that makes you crazy. A handful of days in Thailand seven years ago is not enough of a basis to jump into this thing."

"You know about Audrey." He swallowed. "You know she can't fit in my world."

"I get you by default?" Buffy's eyes narrowed.

"It's always been you, but I never felt like enough." Phil cupped her cheek. "I'm just a man, a cog in a machine."

"You're the only man I've been with since Los Angeles. Thailand wasn't a roll in the hay for me." She pushed away from him, wrapping her arms around her abdomen. "It was everything and, in the end, I still woke up alone."

"I'm sorry." He heard the words spilling from his lips. They weren't enough. He watched her shoulders droop.

"I'm not looking for an apology." Buffy covered his lips with her finger tips. "I just want some time to be sure. I can fight demon hordes, but I can't face failing at this. I want it. I want to put my things in your home and start our life together, but I need to know that we can make it work, that we are both all in."


	3. Chapter 3

Melinda May heard Lola return. The car had a distinctive purr. She rolled her shoulders and headed towards the hanger. Coulson would want the latest update on Fitz. She moved silently, but the others joined her. Since the shit hit the fan, they tended to function as a group. It was a coping mechanism, a false belief in strength in numbers. At least they weren't babbling.

"You know I can carry my own bags." A familiar female voice brought May to a halt. She clenched her fist against her stomach.

"I am trying to be a gentleman." Coulson's amused rejoinder had the others advancing. She moved quickly and rounded the corner to see the petite blonde shake her head.

"The Hulk would have problems lifting that chest. I don't travel light." Buffy Summers tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "All my favorite weapons are in there."

"So watching me try to lift it?" Coulson raised an eyebrow.

"Was too funny." Buffy grabbed the chest and lifted it easily. "You can get my other stuff though."

"How did Lola get off the ground with that in her trunk?" Coulson pulled a couple of duffles from the trunk and slung them over his shoulder.

"How did it all fit in her trunk?" Buffy smirked at him. "The welcome wagon is here. Hi, Melinda."

"It has been a while, Buffy." May nodded.

"I hear there's gonna be some fireworks." Buffy tilted her head.

"No, we are trying to avoid notice." Simmons smiled. "Pyrotechnics would be ill advised."

"She's cute, Phil." Buffy grinned. "And very literal."

"This is Buffy Summers. She's here to help us." Coulson's hand cupped the petite blonde's shoulder possessively.

"You're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent?" Skye stepped toward the blonde with a smile.

"No." Buffy grinned. "I'm more of an independent contractor. I'm Buffy Summers, the vampire slayer."

"Vampire slayer?" Simmons giggled. "Really? You slay fictional creatures of the night?"

"The things she fights are far from fictional." Coulson frowned at Simmons. "If she wanted to attack us, we'd be broken at her feet in about fifteen seconds."

"So, vampires are real?" Skye looked at Buffy with wide eyes.

"Yep." Buffy smiled. "Lots of things that go bump in the night are. You're gonna get to meet some."

"Really?" May glared at Coulson. "Is that wise?"

"Do you want to know what your many headed beast is doing now?" Buffy stepped in front of Coulson. "Because, believe me, they'll know. The Nazi bastards did a lot of damage in my neighborhood. Demons have long memories."

"Long memories and a fear of you." May shook her head. "How can we trust the intel?"

"Lorne won't lead me wrong." Buffy smiled. "And D'Hoffryn and I bonded over the loss of Anyanka years ago. When Hydra resurfaced, he called me. He lost nine of his cabal during World War II. He wants them gone. He's not the only one. Do I need to continue dropping names that mean nothing to you or can we move on?"

Coulson shook his head. A quick, annoyed sigh escaped his lips. Everyone turned to him.

"What's in these bags, Buffy?" He shifted their weight on his back. "Mystical throwing stars?"

"No, that's my wardrobe." Buffy tilted her head. "Are you going to be a big baby about carrying some clothes?"

"How many pairs of shoes?" Coulson led her from the room with Koenig trailing behind them.

"This is highly irregular. She will have to be tested for a lanyard as soon as possible." Koenig's voice rang through the hanger as they stepped in through the door ahead of him.

"I like him, Phil." Buffy's bright voice was the last the shocked group heard. "Can I call him Andrew?"

"Who is she, really?" Triplett watched the door they had disappeared through.

"She can still hear you." May sighed.

"That's not possible." Simmons frowned.

"She can still hear you." May ground the words out. "Her senses are more developed than ours. She's stronger, faster, and smarter than you expect her to be. Don't underestimate her."

"Is she a midget Asgardian?" Triplett tilted his head.

"No. She's human and a California girl through and through." May sighed. "Just don't fuck with her. She won't hurt you too much, but Coulson will."

"Why?" Skye bit her bottom lip.

"They've got history." May moved to leave.

"There can't be much history there. That girl looks to be about twenty." Triplett smiled.

"Looks can be deceiving." May smiled. It might be amusing to watch Coulson deal with their team's reaction to Buffy. She moved toward the door and heard them all fall into place behind her. She rolled her eyes. The question and a answer period wasn't done.

"You gotta give us more than that." Skye wheedled.

"She isn't in the database." Simmons sounded alarmed as she looked up from her tablet.

"Coulson kept her out of the database. She's his friend. Beyond that, it is none of your business." May turned to the group. "She would never hurt Coulson."

"You know her." Skye smiled sweetly. "Come on. Spill."

"She saved me once." May shrugged. "She kicked my ass for my stupidity after, but she waded into hell and pulled me out."

"What kind of hell?" Triplett tilted his head as if he was considering the possibilities.

"An actual hell." May smirked. "She knows her way around a battle. I should be dead."

"But she's Coulson's friend?" Skye tilted her head, her long brown locks sliding along her shoulders.

"I'm not going to reminisce with you." May looked each of the team square in the eye in turn. "Coulson wouldn't bring her here without a reason. He'd never put her in this kind of danger if he didn't feel it was necessary, so you'd be better off worrying about that than water that's so far under the bridge it's rejoined the sea."

"You don't like her." Skye put her hands on her hips. "She may have saved you, but you don't like her. She may seem like all that, but you've saved all of us a lot."

"She's saved the world." May smiled. "Lots of times. I appreciate your urge to support me, but it's misplaced. I'm not jealous of her abilities or her heroism. She is what she is, and she's amazing in a fight."

"But she's not your friend." Skye crossed her arms over her chest. May looked at the young woman standing before her. The rush of misplaced loyalty was sweet.

"No, she's not my friend, but she is Coulson's." May sighed and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, we're sharing a bathroom?" Buffy opened the door into his bedroom and smiled. "Subtle. Are any of the others sharing?"

"No." Phil smiled as she strolled into his room. "There's plenty of room here. I just want you close at hand."

"Melinda won't like it." Buffy sighed. "She's half in love with you."

"No, she cares about me as a friend." Phil sat on his bed and watched Buffy poke through his closet.

"Keep living on that river in Egypt." Buffy smiled and pulled the lavender shirt she'd sent him for Christmas out. "It's a nice place to stay while it lasts."

She dropped her robe to pool at her feet and slid the shirt on.

He managed not to swallow his tongue.

"I forgot to pack pajamas. This will do nicely." She sniffed at the collar. "It smells like you."

"You could share my bed. I'm certain it smells of me as well." Phil raised a brow and Buffy giggled.

"I appreciate the offer, but I want to be sure. I've loved three men in my life. Angel and Spike are dust. What we have means everything to me, Phil. I can't lose you, too." Buffy sat next to him. "This place needs to be humanized, Phil. I know it's a secret installation and all, but people fight better when they have a home to fight for. This is your team. They take their cues from you and Melinda. Both of you need to make some changes."

"This is temporary. The plane is home." Phil watched as she rolled the cuffs of his shirt up to the crook of her elbow. The shirt fell almost to her knees.

"The plane is a glorified trailer. These kids need a real home." Buffy turned toward him. "So do I. Home base is important. I haven't had one since Sunnydale, so get ready. Hurricane Buffy is coming to town."

She pressed her lips to his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'll see you in the morning." She rested her forehead against his for a moment. "Bright and early. Just the way you like it."

* * *

Phil was eating breakfast when Buffy's first salvo was fired. He could hear her laughing as Koenig ranted. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his coffee. Buffy wouldn't lose the battle, but he didn't need either of them with ruffled feathers.

"You don't have a lanyard or the proper status to repurpose a room." Koenig stood with his hands on his doughy hips.

"I need a place to train. I like this space. It feels right." Buffy grinned and bounced on the balls of her feet. "I didn't ask you for help moving the furniture, so what's your problem?"

"You are not authorized personnel." His nose wrinkled as he glared at her.

"I live here, now. That's my authorization. I know you S.H.I.E.L.D. types love your order, but I like some chaos in life. It keeps you sharp." She patted his cheek.

Phil sipped his coffee and watched as Koenig turned an odd shade of purple. Skye came up next to him, her eyes wide.

"Why are you letting her bully him, A.C.?" Skye whispered as Buffy grabbed a large armchair with one hand and lifted it easily.

"You don't let Buffy do anything. She's a force of nature." Phil smiled as Koenig grabbed the chair and tried to rip it away from the slayer. "And, this is not bullying. Believe me."

Buffy lifted the chair higher and Koenig went with it. She tilted her blonde head and smiled widely at the blustering man.

"I told you I didn't need help moving the furniture." She smiled at him. "You're so nice to lend a hand."

"Mr. Coulson, please explain the necessity of adhereing to proper procedures to your guest." Koenig released the chair and slid to the floor. "She refused to report for testing this morning."

"I don't do tests." Buffy smiled and tilted her head, but Phil could see the quick flash of anger in her eyes.

"I'm not asking you to take any tests." Phil handed her his coffee and watched her turn it to drink from the same side of the mug as he had.

"Our testing keeps you safe, young lady." Koenig straightened his jacket.

"Not really." Buffy sighed. "I don't need a lanyard to get into these rooms. I am the oldest vampire slayer in the world. I get stronger every day. I am the last chosen one. I've been to Heaven and I've been to Hell. Your little test means nothing to me. It won't keep me safe. My destiny has nothing to do with safety. It won't keep you safe either. If I wanted to reduce this place to bits and pieces, I could."

"We have Rogue Avenger Protocols." Koenig's lips thinned as he smirked. "You can be contained."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Buffy looked at Phil. He could see her struggling. She had been betrayed by friends and family. Trying to find a place in his world made her vulnerable.

Phil pulled his lanyard off over his head and walked over to Buffy.

* * *

"He put his lanyard around her neck and kissed her." Skye shook her head. "I mean he kissed her."

"Coulson?" Triplett quirked a brow.

"Coulson." Skye nodded. "It's just too weird. She isn't anything like the cello player either. I mean that made sense, but this girl is just too..."

"Too what?" May asked as she slid into the room.

"I don't trust her, okay?" Skye dropped her gaze.

"First time I saw Buffy, she was holding up a collapsing building with her bare hands to give people a chance to get out. The earthquake was being caused by some creature with magma for hands and vicious looking spikes allover its body. She was injured badly, but she held that building up until every last person got out." May looked off into the distance.

"How did she escape?" Simmons cocked her head.

"She didn't. The building collapsed on her. A team showed up and pulled the building off of her. A red headed woman seemed to be in charge. I stayed out of sight and watched them dig for three days, but I had to leave." May sighed. "She isn't normal, but she isn't a threat to us. You need to give her a chance."


	5. Chapter 5

Skye watched Buffy stalk through the plane's lounge. Coulson and May were in the cockpit locked in some discussion about the best landing sites, and no one was talking to the blonde. Skye felt a twinge of guilt. Buffy had been trying to fit in, but the team had resisted her attempts.

"Would you sit down, please?" Triplett looked up at her. "It's exhausting to watch you pace."

"I'm sorry. I don't do real well on planes. They prick at my senses." Buffy's hands fluttered uselessly in front of her. "It's a nice flying death trap though, really nice."

"Our plane is not a death trap." Skye curled her lip. "It's our home."

"I used to feel that way about Sunnydale." Buffy nodded and sat in one of the chairs. Her knuckles were white. "It was still a death trap but on a much larger scale."

"You lived in Sunnydale? California?" Simmons looked pale.

"I rode the last bus out." Buffy's eyes dropped to the floor. "My home disappeared into the giant sink hole."

"That must have been terrible." Simmons sighed. "Where is your family now?"

"My sister lives in England. She's at Oxford right now. My mother's grave is at the bottom of the sinkhole." Buffy wrapped her arms tightly around her waist.

The plane hit some turbulence, and Buffy paled. She looked physically ill.

"If your going to chuck your cookies, go to the lav, Blondie." Triplett Pointed toward the door.

"I'm not a good flyer." Buffy rolled her lips over her teeth.

Skye felt that twinge of guilt again.

Buffy had tried with each of them. There had been cookies and other treats. She'd offered to help with every project that they had bothered to explain to her. She'd offered her new workout area up for their training. Buffy had tried, but they had all given her the cold shoulder.

Buffy shuddered when the plane lurched.

"Is it nausea?" Simmons tilted her head.

"I'm sure Simmons has something you could take." Skye smiled tightly. "It would take the edge off."

"Slayer metabolism." Buffy frowned. "Drugs are unmixy with it. We'll be there soon, and then I can get some good old fashioned slaying in while the team scouts."

"You're not staying with us?" Triplett raised a brow.

"I have a duty to fulfill." Buffy shrugged. "Phil will tell me what I need to know when the time comes."

"Artifacts like this are frequently dangerous. You shouldn't be so blasé about this mission." Simmons looked over at Buffy and shook her head. "You could die."

"Been there. Done that. More than once." Buffy frowned. "Phil said there were tee shirts. I wonder if they come in light blue. I could use a new light blue tee. Rygorth blood just won't come out."

"Have a drink." Triplett snarled. "Relax."

Buffy just shook her head and popped up out of the seat. She smiled at them and disappeared down toward the science bay.

"She shouldn't be down there alone." Simmons sighed. "Let's go keep an eye on our guest."

"I'll go with." Skye shrugged.

Triplett just waved them on.

* * *

Buffy needed to run or to fight. The flying tin can was pressing in on her slayer senses and she wanted to do something. She decided to do balance drills. She flipped over onto one hand and held her body up in the air. She pressed up onto her finger tips and took several deep cleansing breaths.

She knew to the moment when Phil came into the room. She took a deep breath, enjoying his scent. The man just smelled better than everyone else. It was like his scent morphed to suit her needs.

"Should I leave you to your meditation or would you prefer to spar?" Phil's amusement came through loud and clear.

"You want to spar?" Buffy pushed up with her fingers, twisted in the air, and landed on the balls of her feet. "Really?"

"We could always make it interesting." Phil smiled. "You can't use your arms at all and first one on their back has to clean the bathroom when we get back to the base."

"I can't use my arms at all?" Buffy grinned. "Even if you beg?"

Phil just raised an eyebrow.

"Tie me up then." Buffy grinned. "How do you want me?"

Phil smirked and shrugged off his jacket.

"Cat got your tongue?" Buffy clasped her hands behind her back and walked toward him waggling her shoulders.

"You're incorrigible, Miss Summers." Phil stripped off his tie and tried to look stern, but the twinkle in his eyes was impossible to miss.

"You just like tying me up. Don't deny it." Buffy smirked. "There's a secret kinkster under all those conservative suits."

"You bring it out in me." Phil grabbed her, pulled her close, and smiled as he arranged her arms to hug her torso.

"That's my Phil." Buffy leaned into him pressing her breasts against his chest. "Unflappable."

He tied one hand with his tie and spun her around, pulling her back against his chest. He rubbed his cheek against her hair as he pulled the length of silk toward her other wrist. Buffy shivered and rolled her hips back into him.

"Trying to distract me?" He nipped her earlobe.

"Is it working?" Buffy leaned her head back onto his shoulder.

"You know damn well it is." He finished tying her hands and shoved her back.

Buffy tossed her hair and smiled as they circled each other. Phil's eyes stayed locked on hers. She swept out with her left leg and giggled as he easily avoided her attack. She shifted her weight again, and he moved in anticipation of her attack.

His attack was quick. Buffy grinned and bent to avoid his hands, spinning away from him with ease. His quick grin of victory drove her to check her surroundings. Phil took full advantage of her distraction and pressed her back against the glass of the window. His lips settled on hers, and she whimpered.

Buffy pulled her legs up and wrapped them around his hips, sighing as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

"We can both use distractions." He spun and dropped her to the floor. She giggled as she landed flat on her back.

"I still feel like the winner." Buffy smirked. Phil kissed her again, playfully nibbling as she struggled to free her hands.

"And, yet, you are not." Phil pressed his lips over her throbbing pulse. She could feel him smiling. "The big, bad slayer lost."

"Oh, yeah. That's right." Buffy rocked her hips up against his, wrenched her hands free from the tie, and grabbed his gabardine covered ass. "I'm the loser."

The quiet exit of their audience went unnoticed.

* * *

"Oh, my." Simmons blushed.

"Oh, something." Skye nodded. "He loves her."

"Coulda told ya that." Triplett smiled and shook his head. "She loves him, too."

"How can you possibly know that?" Simmons stared up at him and bit her lower lip.

"She's always watching him. She's cautious. She looks young, but there's been pain there." Triplett shrugged. "She wouldn't be living at the base if it wasn't love, but she sure as hell doesn't trust it."

"What can we do?" Skye looked over her shoulder. "How do we deal with this?"


	6. Chapter 6

May glared at Buffy as they worked their way through a series of pastures toward the coordinates. The moon was covered by clouds and the temperature was dropping quickly. Buffy was busy cleaning her short sword, hardly paying attention to the world around them. Working with the blonde was like trying to tame a cyclone. They hadn't accounted for her in their plans.

Buffy had issues with priorities.

"Your murderous side trip couldn't have waited?" May sneered.

"That thing was a kobold, an old one that had a good disguise going." Buffy shook her head. "For a kobold to reach that size, it has to eat human flesh. They prefer children, so no it couldn't wait. I'm sorry about the slime, though."

"That thing ate children?" May sighed and swiped some of the gelatinous blue goop off her jacket.

"Yep." Buffy avoided the plop of goo from May's hand easily.

"It looked human." May shook her head. "I would never have realized."

"You weren't supposed to figure it out. A young slayer might have missed it as well. They get better at disguising themselves as they age. That one was probably about six hundred." Buffy checked her blade again. "At least they're easy to slay."

"That was easy?" May raised a brow.

"Yes. Nothing special required, just hack and bash until they pop. Kobolds have no real defensive weapons." Buffy jumped the fence in an easy leap.

"It had six inch long claws." May used her had to lever her body over the as same fence.

"Yeah, but it didn't know how to use them." Buffy sheathed her sword, obviously satisfied that it was clean.

"We are going to be late getting to our assigned location." May sighed. "I should have just gone on ahead."

"That's true." Buffy smiled and tilted her head. "Wanna piggy back ride? I can get us there in time. Hell, I can get us into place early. I wouldn't have stopped if I couldn't get us there in time. I would never risk your team, Melinda."

* * *

Phil drove toward the small farmhouse. He smirked as he observed the night, dark and stormy. It was almost too amusing.

May had signaled him that they were all in place. Triplett, May and Buffy were converging on the farmhouse. Simmons latest scans confirmed that the farmhouse was a façade. This was going to be fast and dirty.

"This is a Hydra facility." Skye rubbed her hands on denim clad thighs. "Are you sure this is the smart move?"

"It depends on how you look at it, Skye." Phil smiled. "There's risk to our team, but leaving the artifact in Hydra's possession would be far more dangerous."

"So, this is the only choice?" Skye looked at him, turning in her car seat to face him. "Couldn't we just blow this place up?"

"We could do that." Phil nodded. "It would be far less risky, but it would leave us in the dark. Hydra has plans and goals. We need every detail we can find."

"I can find the information if you just give me some time." Skye crossed her arms over her chest.

"I know you can, Skye." Phil sighed. "What if we don't have time?"

* * *

Triplett set the small charges and backed away from the house. He hated this plan almost as much as hated leaving Simmons alone and unguarded. S.H.I.E.L.D. trained her, but she wasn't a field agent, not really.

May hit the detonator, and he watched as the slayer streaked toward the house. She was nothing more than a blonde blur. He shook his head and fell in beside May as they followed.

"How does she move so fast?" He looked over at May and caught her minute shrug.

They found the first enhanced human flat on his face just inside the walls. He was out cold. May restrained him with the specialized cuffs Fitz had designed in their last few days before the world had gone to hell. He blindfolded the poor bastard.

He looked over at May and nodded. The familiar sound of a body hitting the ground had them both moving. May was just ahead of him when she ducked to the side, reaching back to drag him to safety. The body flew past them. He looked down to see the man struggling to function. A feminine giggle registered through the shock.

He turned as May secured the altered man, and watched as the tiny blonde whirled and dodged, playing with three of the Centipede Soldiers. They were too slow to stop her. She moved around them, flipping and twisting to avoid there punches, but always landing her own.

"Wanna play, Trip?" Buffy tilted her head toward her trio of attackers. "This is fun."

May came up next to him and stood watching the show.

"You didn't say she could do this." Triplett swallowed. "Romanoff wouldn't stand a chance, but, man, I'd pay to watch the fight."

Buffy dispatched another one and waved at them cheerily before returning to the fray.

* * *

Skye raised her brows as she entered the farmhouse compound with Coulson. The place was pretty high tech on the inside. Triplett was standing next to a line of Centipede Soldiers, shaking his head.

"One of the fools tried to run. Buffy and May took off after him." Triplett shook his head. "That Slayer of yours is scary, Coulson. She took them down easily."

"Easily?" Skye looked down at the bodies. "And they're all still alive."

"Buffy will not kill a human." Coulson smiled. "Her world has it's rules, too."

"Don't we all live in the same world?" Skye eyed Coulson.

"The mystical parts of our world would seem like another realm to you. Buffy is comfortable there." Coulson moved toward the computers lining the far wall.

"She seemed pretty comfortable taking down the tin soldiers, too." Triplett smiled. "I mean it was beautiful to watch."

"Thanks." Buffy stepped through the hole in the side of the building, carrying another restrained soldier on her shoulders. "We need to go to Paris after Skye does her thing."

"Why do we need to go to Paris?" Skye moved toward the computer console. "I mean isn't that a little out of our way?"

"This one had some interesting stuff in his pockets." Buffy held up a ring. "It's the Ring of Gyges. I knew it had surfaced, but I hoped one of the girls had gotten to it. The stupid fool didn't put it on. Woulda made catching him a bit more of a challenge."

"Is that the artifact?" Triplett stepped closer to Buffy.

"Nope." Buffy slid the thing on her thumb and disappeared.

"It was made in Greece." Coulson smiled as Buffy reappeared.

"He had a map of Scotland in his pocket, too." Buffy stared at the ring. "The newbies wouldn't stand a chance. These enhanced soldiers fight with vamp strength. An invisible one could take the compound."

"We can drop these guys off and head to Paris as soon as we retrieve the Asgardian artifact." Coulson walked over to Buffy and rubbed her shoulder. "Skye will have the safe open in just a minute."

* * *

Phil watched Buffy toss and turn in her sleep. Her hair was knotted and her bruises, what few she had aquired, had faded to that sickly yellow shade. She'd fallen asleep in the lounge. The small sleep quarters on the plane were too enclosed for her. He knew about her claustrophobia. It was one of her many quirks. There were quite a few. She didn't miss a call to her sister, she listened to punk rock when she was sad, she bought poetry books that she never read, and she kept a skull ring on a chain around her neck. An odd sense of dread settled over him as he watched her dream.

The safe had yielded little useful information, and the artifact was useless without Fitz around to figure the damn thing out. The only thing they had discovered made his blood run cold. Hydra was interested in slayers.


	7. Chapter 7

Paris was bustling around them. Buffy and Phil were happily leading their little group through the rowdy crowds of the Oberkampf in the eleventh arrondissement. They looked good together despite their differences.

Buffy was wearing some vintage sundress and a lace shawl. The odd tracery of white lines on her body reflected the passing lights differently than the rest of her skin. Even her scars enhanced her beauty. She looked young and lighthearted from a distance.

Phil was wearing his usual suit, but Buffy had forced him to leave the tie behind. His strides were easy. His calm went unruffled. He looked like a man comfortable in his own skin.

Others parted around them like the red sea. The confident man and his young woman looked innocuous, but human instincts kept others away. The pair was dangerous. Their gazes never stayed too long in one place, predatory and confident. No pickpocket would attempt them. No mugger would confront them and the drunks just fell away from them as if it was choreographed.

Lorne smiled and opened his bright red eyes. He rarely had visions about his own future, but it was always important when he did. He would have to warn the bouncers that Buffy was bringing guests.

* * *

"Welcome." Lorne moved to the small group of humans as they entered. "Buffy, lovely as always. Phil, good to see you."

"It's good to see you, Lorne." Buffy rose on her toes and kissed his cheek.

"Of course it is, sugar lips." Lorne stroked her shoulder. "Good to see you smiling."

"It has been known to happen." Buffy tossed her hair over shoulder. "Is there anyone here I should avoid?"

"They haven't stopped in recently." Lorne shrugged. "Harris was in a few weeks ago. He asked the usual questions and left without a song. Thank the ghost of Liberace. You have a couple of hours before they get word."

"They?" Skye raised her eyebrows.

"It's old news, Sugar." Lorne tilted his head. "I'm sure your story is far more interesting, but we all have our secrets."

* * *

Lorne's hand closed on Phil's arm. The strength of his grip drew Phil's eyes to him. The demon looked over toward the bar, and Phil understood. He ambled over to the bar while a creature with tusks tried to sing an old Blondie song.

"Someone should ring his bell." Lorne muttered. "Mating season and he's here every night instead of out looking for a female."

"I imagine it's difficult to sing with tusks." Phil smiled and shrugged.

"Some still manage." Lorne looked around the club and sighed. "Seeing Buffy with people has been wonderful. I've worried about her for so long. Spike was a fool. He should have gone to her and stayed within arm's reach for the rest of their lives. He never did believe in second chances. Don't waste yours."

"What?" Phil blinked his eyes and considered the demon as he sipped his drink.

"When I sent you to Thailand, I should have given you this." Lorne pushed an envelope toward him. "Spike wrote it on our last day in Los Angeles. He knew the score and arranged to save me. He tried to save the others as well, but they bought into Angel's crusade."

"Buffy was so broken. The first time she sang here. Well, let's just say Sylvia Plath was a cheery, well adjusted woman in comparison."

"I know there are problems with the Los Angeles thing." Phil sighed as he slid the envelope into his breast pocket. "But I've never asked for details."

"I won't tell you her story. You've been around her long enough to figure out how to ask her without coming away bloody." Lorne frowned. "Try asking her about Rome. It's all part and parcel."

Phil nodded and stared up at the stage as Triplett was shoved up to sing by Simmons. He grinned and grabbed the mic, launching into a James Brown classic. He seemed perfectly at ease.

"Anger issues." Lorne smiled. "He's loyal, but his center has shifted."

"You don't usually give that kind of information." Phil took a sip of his drink.

"You need to rebuild your trust. I just wanted to give it a boost." Lorne smiled. "Don't let it go to your head."

* * *

Simmons collapsed next to Triplett, laughing. Her hair swung loose and her eyes sparkled. He wrapped an arm around her to steady her.

"This is too much fun." She grinned up at him. "I had no idea you could sing."

"I saw you dancing with the guy that looks like he has five times too much skin." Triplett tilted his head toward the being.

"Buffy introduced us. She hugged him and his ears turned bright pink. It was so adorable." Simmons shook her head. "She told me he was a great guy but to never play kitten poker with him. What is kitten poker?"

"I'm fairly certain we don't want to know." Triplett looked over at Buffy and frowned. She was glaring at a dark haired woman and shaking her head.

* * *

Buffy rolled her eyes and patted Drusilla on the hand. There was no point trying to get rid of her. The small porcelain doll clutched in the vampire's arms was more of a problem.

"I don't care that Miss Edith thinks we should have tea, Dru." Buffy sighed. "You can't be running around Paris. There are slayers here that won't think twice about dusting you."

"You are my family. If I want tea with you, they will not stop me. They can not have our tarts." Drusilla smiled. "I drink the pig swill now. I want to see Daddy and our William again, so I am a good girl."

"I know they would be proud of you." Buffy sighed. "I am."

"You are building a new family. The pixies told me." Drusilla hummed and tilted her head back and forth. "I would like to meet them."

"Fine." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Come on. Just keep Miss Edith on a short leash."


	8. Chapter 8

Drusilla followed Buffy through the crowd. Buffy could sense the vampire easily. Drusilla was no doubt up to something. It was always best to let her play her games if there wasn't bloodshed involved.

Skye looked up at them with curiosity, Triplett raised his brows, and Simmons giggled.

"How much has she had to drink?" Buffy eyed the young scientist.

"Just one." Skye nodded toward the glass.

Buffy picked up the glass, sniffed it, and shook her head.

"Great, a blue devil." Buffy sighed.

"Human's aren't supposed to drink those." Drusilla giggled. "It makes them silly, and it makes them taste bad."

"It makes them taste bad?" Skye pushed up from the table.

"Don't." Buffy looked at her. "Drusilla is a master vampire with a unique skill set and a wonky moral compass."

"She doesn't like our Buffy, Miss Edith." Drusilla's eyes flashed amber. "Should we punish her?"

"No." Buffy spun on the balls of her feet. "You will not punish her. Do you want me to be cross with you?"

Drusilla shook her head and pouted. The look had worked on Angel and Spike, and it worked on Buffy as well. She sighed and cupped Drusilla's free hand.

"Are you going to be nice? It's what Angel and Spike would want you to do." Buffy took a deep breath.

"Being good is no fun." Drusilla flopped onto a chair next to the table. Buffy sighed and turned back to the table. "I want to have a proper tea party, Buffy."

"I'm sure we can do that tomorrow." Buffy smiled. "I'll even eat the crumpets this time."

"I didn't understand the recipe." Drusilla looked down at the table and traced the grain of the wood with her perfectly done nail. "I don't remember cooking. Spike always fed our guests."

"Or got you fresh ones." Buffy tucked some hair behind Drusilla's ear. "He doted on you."

"May I eat the men with the glowing bits tucked into their skin? Would that make Daddy mad?" Drusilla looked up eagerly. "They act like demons, but they might taste like..."

"Chicken?" Buffy patted her arm as the vampiress wrinkled her nose. "No snacking on humans. Daddy and Spike want you to be a good princess."

"She eats people?" Skye glared at Buffy. "She eats human beings, and you trot her over here like it's nothing? Have you lost your mind?"

Drusilla hissed and Buffy flattened her hand over her unbeating heart. Drusilla snarled and sank back in her seat.

"You have your little family, and I have mine." Buffy glared at Skye. "She's lost everything. Her sire and her childe are dust. She's trying to be good to honor their memories, and she does it all without a soul. Don't judge what you can't understand."

* * *

May watched Buffy grasp the willowy brunette's hand and storm off. The brunette giggled and waved over her shoulder at Skye and the others.

"Pissing both of them off isn't wise." The short man playing darts with her shook his head. "The last Aurelian and the last true Slayer, no one in their right mind crosses them. I should put some money down how long that cheeky human has left."

"Aurelian?" May quirked her brow, ignoring the man's urge to gamble on Skye's life.

"They were vampire royalty. The strongest coven that ever existed. Drusilla is all that's left." He smirked. "She's a bit of fun when she's on a tear, but it's been years since she's done more than slaughter demons. Shame, really. She was so good at mayhem and madness."

"How do natural enemies friends so friendly?" May tossed her dart.

"Buffy is unusual. For that matter, so is Drusilla." The man sighed. "Never saw them as friends when I took Angel to see Buffy the first time, but it makes a sick kind of sense now."

"It sounds like quite a story." May took a sip of her drink and examined the short man next to her.

"Not mine to tell though." He tossed a dart over his shoulder and hit a bullseye. "Drusilla isn't the only demon that will come hunting if you for your little bitch hurt Buffy. She isn't even the scariest of us."

* * *

Phil sat next to Skye and waited. There was no need to chastise the girl. He sighed audibly and watched Buffy dance with Lorne and Drusilla.

"She brought a vampire to our table." Skye examined the man playing darts with May.

"Buffy introduced you to her family." Phil nodded his head. "They may seem a bit different, but they love her."

"That thing she brought to the table eats humans." Skye crossed her arms over her chest and huffed out a breath.

"Drusilla attached herself to Buffy years ago. Despite her odd ramblings, she is fiercely loyal to Buffy. She is no threat to anyone under Buffy's protection." Phil smiled. "Drusilla pulled me out of a bad situation in the Ukraine five years ago. Stark was there, too. She has a rather unique skill set. She'd be an asset to our current team."

"She'd eat us." Skye asserted.

Drusilla rolled her eyes and stalked toward their table, leaving Buffy with Lorne. Her skirts swished and every eye in the place seemed to watch her. She stopped next to the table and smiled at Phil. He nodded his head in greeting.

"If I wanted you dead, I would make one of your friends kill you. Most of them would do my bidding with joy in their hearts." Drusilla leaned down and licked her lips. "Angelus and Spike loved Buffy. I will guard her until I join them."

Drusilla straightened up and held up her doll. The vampire made a fuss over the doll's dress.

"Miss Edith does not care for you, Skye." Drusilla smiled coldly. "Be glad that Buffy does."


	9. Chapter 9

Phil sat at his desk and stared at the sealed envelope. It was sealed with wax, and it felt like vellum. He'd carried it around for half a day. Buffy was working with Skye. He would be able to read it in peace. He ran his fingers over it, pressing it onto the desk. The contents of the letter would change nothing for him, but he hesitated to open it. Letting her old love have his say posthumously offered new concerns, but none of those mattered. Buffy mattered and this man had loved her. It was reason enough. He plucked it up and opened it neatly.

The page slipped out of the hand folded envelope. Elegant swirls and flourishes filled the page. The man's writing had not modified as his appearance had. The lovely script flowed across the page carrying modern words and deep sentiment.

* * *

_Can't really start this letter with a Dear So And So, can I?_

_I hate not knowing your name, not knowing you. _

_If you're reading this than Lorne has decided you're worthy. Doesn't matter, you're not. No one is. Know that she deserves better than you everyday. Keep that thought close. It'll help when she's off on a tear about saving the world or the next door neighbor's kitten. Stupid bloody thing went up the tree at least once a week._

_She's a complicated bit of baggage. Comes with the destiny. Imagine it's worse now with all the others running about. Just more for her to protect. The world comes first for the slayer. It's hard wired into the breed. The better they are, the stronger their sense of responsibility. Buffy is the best._

_Not just the besotted ex talking here. I tried to kill her often enough to know._

_Sending Angel off to hell changed her. She was so soft before that. Sweet. Even with all that Angelus did to her and hers._

_How she forgave him, I'll never know. Didn't know until today how he walked away from her. Feels like dying all over again. _

_Angel's mucked it up but good, and we all have to pay. Otherwise, I'd be the one holding her every night._

_She needs that. She needs someone to hold her. Been left too many times, hurt too many times. For all the slayer complications, the woman needs to be loved and to love. She needs to believe in it with every bit of her._

_I know she was telling the truth. Knew it then, but she wouldn't have left me if I had accepted it._

_It's all a bit of history, now._

_You're the one that gets her tomorrows. You are the luckiest man alive, never forget it._

_Now that we have dispensed with the messy past, you need to know a few things aout the care and feeding of Buffy._

_First and foremost. She's so strong that it is easy to forget she gets hurt. She won't tell you when something's broken or aching. That goes double if it's her heart that hurts._

_Buffy needs to eat, but she hates having people see how much she eats. It's crazy, but she'll go hungry in front of most of her friends. Always order extra food for yourself. She'll eat it._

_Always be there when she wakes up, even if she kicks your arse for it. _

_Keep an eye on those friends of hers. They forget she's human and treat her like a weapon. Her watcher runs hot and cold, but he does love her. Red is too powerful. Power eats the humanity right out of a witch, so be careful of her. Xander loves her, but he doesn't understand her. It leads to problems. Be prepared._

_My Dawnie will give you fits. She'd clever and loves to wade into her sister's battles. Keep her safe if you can._

_Buffy needs you to be strong. She doesn't need you to protect her. Made that mistake a time or twelve._

_When she asks, if she does, tell her I loved her with all that I am. Lorne has a letter for her, when she's ready. _

_Hold her when she cries._

_Yell when she gets too quiet._

_Dance when she wants to kick up her heels. You'll never regret it._

_Keep her as safe as she will let you._

_She likes to watch stupid movies. Watch them with her._

_If Angel comes back, dust his ass. Nothing good ever comes from them together._

_Give her a real home._

_Never touch her weapons. She always knows._

_I mean that. Never touch her weapons._

_Bring her flowers rarely and chocolate often._

_I want to write more, but something tells me you'll need to figure some of this out on your own._

_Take care of her, or I will find a way to come back again. _

_-William_

* * *

Phil folded the letter and folded it back into it's envelope. He couldn't imagine writing such a letter. The man had left her. he'd chosen to leave her. Buffy deserved better than that. The vampire had loved her. He didn't doubt that fact, but his willingness to surrender her smacked of cowardice.

Spike had never believed he deserved love, so he had denied it, choosing to follow Angel into destruction rather than fight for the love he had't fully believed in. The vampire that didn't believe in surrender had lost everything to the man's insecurities. There was the tragedy.

Phil leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wasn't going to let her go. He would never pen a letter to her next lover. He was done looking and so was she. He leaned back in his chair and considered the reality of his commitment. Now, he had to convince Buffy.


End file.
